Graphene and other 2D layered hybrid nanomaterial-based films: Synthesis, properties, and applications

This Special Issue contains a series of reviews and research articles demonstrating actual perspectives and future trends of 2D-based materials for the generation of functional films, coatings, and hybrid interfaces with controlled morphology and structure

A complete hand-drawn sketch vectorization framework

Vectorizing hand-drawn sketches is a challenging task, which is of paramount importance for creating CAD vectorized versions for the fashion and creative workflows. This paper proposes a complete framework that automatically transforms noisy and complex hand-drawn sketches with different stroke types in a precise, reliable and highly-simplified vectorized model. The proposed framework includes a novel line extraction algorithm based on a multi-resolution application of Pearson's cross correlation and a new unbiased thinning algorithm that can get rid of scribbles and variable-width strokes to obtain clean 1-pixel lines. Other contributions include variants of pruning, merging and edge linking procedures to post-process the obtained paths. Finally, a modification of the original Schneider's vectorization algorithm is designed to obtain fewer control points in the resulting Bezier splines. All the proposed steps of the framework have been extensively tested and compared with state-of-the-art algorithms, showing (both qualitatively and quantitatively) its outperformance

Smart Tools for Smart Applications: New Insights into Inorganic Magnetic Systems and Materials

This Special Issue, consisting of four reviews and three research articles, presents some of the recent advances and future perspectives in the field of magnetic materials and systems, which are designed to meet some of our current challenge

Multifunctional Nanomaterials for Energy Applications

In the last few decades, global energy requirements have grown exponentially, and increased demand is expected in the upcoming decades [...

Interplay between Fe-Titanate Nanotube Fragmentation and Catalytic Decomposition of C2H4: Formation of C/TiO2 Hybrid Interfaces

This paper reports the synthesis of Fe-titanate nanotubes by means of the conventional ion-exchange method with iron nitrate solutions. As the iron-rich nanotubes were found to contain the catalyst precursor intrinsically dispersed in their structures, the unprecedented possibility of using this kind of materials for building carbon nanostructures, firmly attached at the surface of the forming TiO2 nanoparticles, was verified. The catalytic decomposition of ethylene, used as a carbon source, was performed at a relatively high temperature (750 °C) when the nanotubes undergo an irreversible phase transformation to form anatase and rutile nanoparticles. Due to the different amounts of Fe ions in the nanotubes, distinct types of carbon/TiO2 hybrid interfaces were formed, ranging from amorphous (lower Fe3+ concentration) to the more crystalline graphitic domains (higher Fe3+ concentrations), as documented by the microstructure of the treated samples. The present approach is of potential interest for (photo)catalytic and energy conversion/transport applications